Violation (18 page)

“One day you will be team captain. You deserve better than me.”

“Says who?”

“I’m too old to start over. You want kids. I already have kids.”

“So what are you saying?” I charged over to her and towered over her while she sat calmly on the bed.

Serena peeked up at me. “I’m saying it’s over between us.”

“So you never loved me.”

“I care. You know I love you.”

“You fucking liar! You fucked up my friendship with Dee. You fucked up the team. If we don’t make it to the playoffs it’s your damn fault.”

“How is any of this basketball stuff my fault?” She stood up.

“You showed me your tits. I’m not this sweet guy. I’m going to fuck any topless woman in my house. I mean c’mon. You were acting like a fucking slut.”

I pissed her off. I think that was my intention. Could I make her mad enough to stay with me? Could I bully her into rethinking everything she just said? She was breaking up with me and if she thought I was going to be nice to her while she kicked me to the curb she was crazy as fuck. No way baby. You rip my heart out. I rip yours out twice and set that bitch on fire.

“So what are you saying?” Her voice was shaky.

“You know what I’m saying. You are the poison. You are the reason everything is so fucked up. You set out to seduce me.”

“I seduced you? I can’t believe you.”

“Believe it. It’s true.”

“So this is all me. You had nothing to do with it.”

“I didn’t come over to your house with bottles. You came to me sweetheart and you came over and over. You wanted a Hart-Less dick and I gave you one. Apparently the one you had at home wasn’t enough.”

“Why are you hurting me? This is already hard for me.”

“Hard for you. Fuck you! Get the fuck out of my house!”

“Noah, don’t let it end this way.”

“Get the fuck out of here.”

I grabbed her purse from the chair and threw it at her chest. She unexpectedly caught it with both her hands. I seized her forearm and drug her to the bedroom doorway.

“Noah!”

I pulled her down the stairs as she slapped my arm. She tried to remove my fingered cuff from her tiny bicep. She stumbled over the steps as I manhandled her.

“Let me go!”

I was on a mission to remove her from my life. I successfully carted her down the stairs without serious injury. I released her with a not to gentle shove.

“Now I know exactly why Dee cheats on you. You’re an indecisive slut pretending to be a lady.”

Serena ran a few steps to reach me but stopped herself. I could see tears streaming down her cheeks but I didn’t care. I turned all my emotions off. I was willing to go all the way with her. I was willing to lose my home, my friends, my team and possibly every fan I ever had for her. I wanted to take the plunge and she was too fucking chicken-shit. Or worse. She still loved him. She wanted him. She thought he was better than me.

I watched her walk out of the door that led to the garages. She got in her car and pulled away before the garage door could completely rise. She almost took my garage door with her when she sped away. She’s right. We can’t do this anymore. It’s too fucking hard. I don’t deserve this.

I walked up the stairs and I had to suppress tears. What the fuck? I was shocked and amazed that I actually had to stop myself from crying. I’m a fucking grown man! I’m not going to give her a fucking tear. I don’t cry. I’m not a fucking crybaby.

I made it up to my bedroom with moist eyes but I was proud a tear never fell. Fuck this shit! I plopped down on my bed. I looked over at the nightstand. The ring I gave her was sitting there staring back at me.

She gave the ring back. When did she even take it off? I’m sick to my stomach. I stood. I paced back and forth. I grabbed a chair I had no business lifting off the floor and I threw it through the second story window. Glass shattered everywhere and the chair went out the window and landed somewhere near my front door.

The rest of my day was filled with a nagging sense of emptiness. It felt like someone died. Why did I come so close to jeopardizing everything I worked for all these years.

I couldn’t sleep and the next day it showed on the basketball court. We lost the game to the Detroit Eagles. We went up against them in the finals last season. They only beat us by the skin of their teeth. But a loss is a loss. Any loss against them is not good. I didn’t bother to show up for the post-game press conference. My brain was mush and my heart was liquefied.

Lance showed up at my house. He texted me that he was on his way. I didn’t bother to respond to his text so he let himself in. He found me planted on my sectional watching MMA in the den.

“Hey you bailed out so fast I didn’t get a chance to talk to you.”

I looked up at him but I didn’t have any clever words.

“Don’t beat yourself up. You had one off game.”

“Yep.”

“You’re okay, right?”

“I’m great. Look at me. I’m perfect. Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Lance was studying me like I was a midterm exam. “Damn! No you’re not.”

I shrugged. Lance took a seat on the couch.

“Where’s Serena?”

“I don’t know.”

“She showed up at the game a few nights ago.”

“Yep.”

“What happened?” He asked but was I in a sharing mood? “Noah what happened?”

“Does it matter?”

“You owe me an explanation for your over the top level of bitch-ass-ness.”

“Fuck it fine, she dumped me.”

“Serena, what the fuck happened?”

“What did you do?”

“Not a goddamn thing. She didn’t want to ruin my contract negotiations and my endorsement deals.”

“Well shit I thought you were keeping this all under raps.”

“We were. I guess her conscience got to her and some bullshit. She had six million excuses why we wouldn’t work. She had the nerve to give me the it’s not you, it’s me speech.”

“Damn Noah. I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t even want us to be together.”

“I didn’t but shit you were winning, so fuck it. That shit was working. I want us to win. If Serena helps you win I’m not complaining.”

“I will play hard again. I just need some time to snap out of her magical spell.”

“That was not magic. That was Voodoo. How much time No-Hart?”

“I don’t know. She kicked me in the balls with stilettos.”

“You’re going to have to pull yourself together.”

“I will. I promise. I need time.”

“Dude we don’t have time to lose.”

“Don’t you think I know that?”

“Is this breakup permanent? You know she’s a female so she could have been on her period when she broke up with you.”

“She won’t return any of my text messages.”

“How many did you send?”

“Three.” Thirteen.

“I think she blocked me.”

“Damn bro’h. I’m sorry. She’s not your good luck charm. You worked for this shit. Don’t let her take away your livelihood.”

“Fuck her.”

“Yeah fuck her.” He agreed. “She could have at least waited until the end of the season. I’m sorry but you’re better off. She’s selfish.”

“She’s so fucking selfish. I bet she was still fucking Dee and me at the same time. She’s a fucking slut.”

He shrugged. “Who knows what she was up to. Do you want a hooker? It’s on me.”

“No I’m good.” Sex with some random woman would not bandage my heartache. I was bleeding internally.

Lance sat with me. He did everything in his power to take my mind off of her. It had been three days since I saw and heard from Serena. My heart ached beyond repair. I fought the urge to text her again when Lance left me alone.

I missed her and I knew that this was the only chance I had to break free. I deserved to be first and not second. I deserved a real relationship and not one played out in the shadows. I deserved a woman that had the same level of commitment I had.

Things were what they were. Or should I say, it is what it is. Thanksgiving came and I couldn’t spend it with my folks because we had a game on that day. I was invited to spend Thanksgiving with Dee and his family but I just couldn’t bring myself to see Serena. I was still upset. It was more than being heartbroken. I was hopeless.

My game picked up a little but Lance covered for me. My rebounds, assists, and points were down but somehow I managed to still shoot the three with accuracy and precision.

NEW YEARS EVE

Deshawn always had an annual New Year’s Eve Party at his home. His elegantly catered parties were a part of the Chicago Cavalier tradition. I believe this is the tenth or eleventh gathering. I have attended every year since I signed with the Cavs. It was a swanky event held at Dee’s mansion in Barrington Hills. The team, the coaches, owners, general managers and entire Cavalier family were invited. There were also a few celebs, singers, rappers, actors and moguls. I managed to escape their Thanksgiving and their Christmas dinner with some lame excuse.

My attendance was mandatory tonight. I was Dee’s bro. I had to be present for this affair. I could admit to myself that I wasn’t in the mood to see Serena. I stayed away from her and she stayed away from me. I’d like to keep it that way, but there’s this party. Dee’s house was huge. Maybe I wouldn’t run into her. Maybe she would run and hide from me. I’m so over her, but I still don’t want to see her in the flesh.

There was no way I was going to brave this shindig by myself. My sister and her partner were here from Paris. I talked them into coming with the promise of free booze. My sister was a huge basketball fan. I also sold them with a promised introduction to a reality star. One of my teammates was married to the blonde reality star from that show Laurel Canyon.

Because my luck sucks major ass, I ran right into Deshawn as soon as we arrived. He approached my trio. Deshawn was all smiles. It was easier being with Dee at the stadium and out in the real world. I didn’t like being in his house because she was here. Everything about tonight just felt wrong.

“Look at No-Hart, you look like a million bucks.” He pulled me close for a bro-hug. “Hey, you got two chicks with you tonight. Bravo.” I almost laughed when he whispered his assessment in my ear.

Time for introductions. “Dee, this is my sister and her girlfriend, Margo.”

He instantly realized his mistake. “Damn Justine, you look different. You look hot.” My sister was a blonde now. He wasn’t into blondes and now I knew why. It wasn’t an issue. There was no chance Dee would hit on my sister. He knew Justine was gay.

“Deshawn Jones. It’s been a long time.” My sister leaned in for a hug.

“Nice to meet you Margo.” He extended his hand and Margo took it.

“Nice to meet you too Mr. Jones,” Margo said.

Justine and Dee chatted and I escorted Margo away from the conversation. Margo was not at all interested in basketball. I saved her from the boring talk. Dee was going to talk my sister’s ear off because she could battle him with her knowledge of all things basketball.

I walked Margo over to the bar where I fetched her a drink. I could tell she was nervous in this crowd of rich people. She had been with my sister for a while, but this was her first time in my baller world. I wanted to make her feel at home and not like an outsider.

Margo was an artist. She was very thin and waifish, but a looker. My sister did good. She was a Brit that my sister met in Paris. They hit it off and have been together ever since. They had something I wished I had. They loved each other and I was happy my sister had found a partner after years of failed relationships.

I spotted Serena standing with Lance’s wife Tiffany. She was wrapped in a nice fitted black dress. The kind that hugged all her curves and would be considered risqué if it wasn’t so expensive. Seeing her made me angry. Seeing her laugh made me furious.

I inconspicuously watched her every move. When Serena finally spotted me I made sure to touch Margo and whisper in her ear. It was childish sure but I would do anything to hurt the woman who left me high and dry. Fuck her! She could eat ten dicks and choke on all of them. Who cares? I don’t.

Serena walked across a sea of people and was headed straight toward me. Somehow I knew she wouldn’t actually approach me. I was wrong. She walked right up to Margo and me. She sized Margo up and that gave me great pleasure. I wouldn’t say anything to her until she said something to me.

“Noah.” Her voice was light and melodic. I hate that.

“Serena.” The tension was concentrated on her and me. There was an invisible barrier between us. I hoped no one could feel it.

“Did you see Deshawn?”

“I did.”

“Who’s your, date?” She muttered through gritted teeth.

“Margo Pette, Margo this is Deshawn’s wife, Serena Jones.”

“Nice to meet you. You have a lovely home.”

“Thank you.” Serena clipped her words and didn’t even look at Margo. She had her evil glare cast upon me.